I'll Follow You
by xXUsEdXx
Summary: "It won't matter if you tell me to leave or not. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth if it means I can protect you." -Eventual GaaraxOC-
1. Prologue: Them

_So I just got the fiery love for my sand panda. It's been a while since I wrote a Naruto fic, so be nice._

* * *

Sabaku no Gaara strived to protect his village, as Kazekage. This enemy, this member of the Akatsuki, had succeeded in penetrating his defense and the last thing he saw was a flash; the last thing he heard was a deafening explosion.

No, that wasn't exactly right. As he struggled to have the sand fall outside of Sunagakure, his strength fading from him, he saw one last thing in his mind's eye: the smiling face of a female ninja that he encountered at least three times…

 _Why am I thinking of her now?_

The strange woman of Konoha, with eyes the color of blood; eyes that shimmered with kindness and burned with chaotic fury, skin as pale and fragile as marble, and a face framed by locks of deep amethyst. He had met her a few times during the Chunin exam and raid of Konoha—she didn't stay away even when he had threatened to kill her. The next time he saw her, she was assisting in rescuing his kidnapped pupil, Matsuri. Every time, she had that kindness in her eyes when she saw him. The last time they ever spoke…

 _"Gaara-kun."_

 _He wasn't sure how to respond to the honorific, turning to look at the girl who called his name, as he and his siblings were about to depart Konoha for Sunagakure._

 _She smiled, raising her hand and waving. "You take care of yourself, ne?"_

He remembered his first impression of her. _She's different._

" _There's something about you that's interesting." The strange girl was asking to die, begging for this forest to be her grave. If she knew any better, she'd have stayed away—or run screaming like everyone else._

 _So why didn't she…?_

" _If you want to die, I can grant that wish," he told her coldly, glaring at him._

 _The girl's lips curled into a smile. "What, you don't want to be friends? I'm hurt."_

 _Sarcasm. It grated his nerves. "Stay out of my way."_

 _She raised a hand slowly before extending her index finger, pointing at him. That damn smile was still on her face. "We'll come to be friends soon enough. You'll see."_

His eyes were heavy now; he couldn't keep them open as his body fell forward, hurtling toward the earth…

" _You're not the most talkative ninja, are you?"_

" _It's official. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to be your friend!"_

" _You really are interesting. Just like I thought."_

" _Don't be a stranger."_

Her voice was ringing through his mind now, clearer than any bell. His mind was going blank, his strength gone, and yet…

His body was snatched into the air, and as he faded into unconsciousness, all he could see was that woman...

 _Mariko…_

* * *

On the way back to Konoha, a fifteen-year-old shinobi turned her attention to the sky, as though being called. The breeze rustled through the leaves, toying with the amethyst strands of her hair. Ill-ease settled into her bones, knotting her insides.

 _What is this feeling…? Did something…?_

"Mariko? Something wrong?" Her comrades, Tachibana Sayuri and Kuronami Tsubasa, stood little ways ahead of Sakamoto Mariko. Sayuri had spoken, wondering why the amethyst-haired female had stopped.

"I just have a feeling…" Mariko trailed off, a sharp lance of pain shooting into he heart. She hadn't felt pain this strong before and wondered at the cause. Was it linked to the feeling she had that something was calling for her? "Something is wrong…"

"Let's hurry home," Tsubasa suggested. "Maybe Lady Tsunade will tell us if something bad has happened. We still have a day's walk to go."

Mariko gave a reluctant nod. "…Yeah."


	2. Before The Departure

"Nu-uh. No way." Naruto's expression twisted into one of complete defiance and contempt. "We're not going on that mission!"

Tsunade's hand pressed against her cheek, her expression darkened in irritation. "Young man, you do know to whom you're speaking to like that…?" she asked, her tone matching her expression and then some, promising extreme repercussions later.

Sakura quickly wrapped a strong arm around Naruto's neck, bashing her fist against his skull. "S-So sorry, milady!" she hurried to say, keeping her tone respectful. "I'll speak with him later!" Idiot! Her inner self screamed at the moronic blonde, you have no idea how ferocious Lady Tsunade can be!

"Old man Third," grumbled Naruto, flailing his arms as Sakura kept her grip around his neck. "He really knew his stuff-"

"Excuse me? What did you just say?!" demanded Tsunade, her brows drawn angrily.

"W-Will you quit it!" screeched Sakura, using both arms to nearly strangle Naruto, who gasped for air as his flailing grew more violent. With a click of his tongue, Kakashi stepped forward to the desk, extending his hand to grab the small piece of paper containing the details of their mission.

The door to Tsunade's office burst open. "Lady Hokage, terrible news!" A decoder cried, alarm ringing in her voice. "We just received word that Sungakure's Kazekage was kidnapped by a member of the Akatsuki!"

Before the shock could truly lay thick among the group, a voice broke through the silence, softer than a sigh, but sharp as a whip and cold as ice. "What did you just say?"

Sakura gasped, recognizing the voice as Tsunade's eyebrow raised. Three female ninja emerged from the halls, the expression on the purple-haired girl's face was a twisted combination of anger and concern. Her comrades wore concern on their countenance, one with jet-black hair tied in a braid, the other platinum blonde swept into a bun.

Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the three ninja right away. "Mariko-oneechan? Sayuri-chan and Tsubasa-chan, too?"

Sayuri gave Naruto a soft smile, though her eyes flickered to Mariko in worry. Tsubasa placed a hand on Mariko's shoulder. "Mariko…"

Tsunade shut her eyes briefly, withdrawing the piece of paper from Kakashi's reach. "Team Kakashi. I hereby amend your mission," Her tone was firm as her eyes opened. "You are to go to Sunagakure now and send a report back immediately. Afterwards, you must assist Sunagakure in any way possible."

Mariko stepped forward, her blood-red eyes blazing. "Lady Tsunade, if I may?" she asked, her stone voice barely reflecting the trembling of her heart.

Tsunade's own light eyes clashed with Mariko's and her expression softened only a bit. "Mariko, you and your squad just returned from a mission."

"You either send me or I go without being ordered, Lady Tsunade. With all due respect, I know how you do not like defiance within your ranks." Mariko's expression darkened. Sayuri walked forward, grabbing her friend's arm gently. "Mariko, calm down," she murmured, flinching. "If your chakra gets out of control…"

"Assist Team Kakashi upon arriving to Sunagakure. That is your mission." Tsunade's tone was firm, an order given after only a few beats of silence. Just a swiftly, Mariko bowed before turning on her heel and walking out of Tsunade's office. Sayuri and Tsubasa immediately rushed after their friend, calling her name in concern.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked, frowning. Sakura sighed, closing her eyes. Of course Naruto hadn't noticed—she knew why Mariko reacted as she did and they weren't even in the same cell. "Naruto, you dummy."

The blonde shook his head, the anger simmering within him. The Akatsuki have made their move and kidnapped his precious comrade. While he was worried for his friend, rescuing Gaara had to come first.

* * *

"Mariko! Wait up!"

Mariko's stepped slowed to a stop, her chest heaving. Raw emotion squeezed her heart, the sharp lance of pain as she brought a hand to her chest. So this was the bad feeling…

Sayuri and Tsubasa were at her side in an instant. Sayuri's eyes were narrowed with concern. "Are you okay, Mariko? You're never that direct with Lady Hokage, never. What brought this on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Tsubasa asked, disbelief coloring her tone at Sayuri's words. "It's because it's Gaara and the fact that Mariko-"

"It's nothing of the sort!" Mariko snapped, her pale cheeks immediately coloring a dust of light pink, dropping her hand from her chest.

Sayuri and Tsubasa exchanged glances before Sayuri sighed heavily. "You've never been a good liar, Mariko. It's been, what? Since near the end of the Chunin exams?" she asked.

Mariko closed her eyes. "Does it matter? He needs our help. Who knows what the Akatsuki could be doing to him. These jerks tried to hurt Naruto too, let's not forget!"

"We know you and Naruto go way back, but you're not in love with him," sighed Tsubasa, pushing her braid off her shoulder. She loved her friend, but sometimes Mariko was a child to her own feelings.

With a sigh, Mariko shook her head. "You're right, I'm not. But just because I'm not in love with Naruto doesn't mean I'd not be just as upset."

"Mariko. You said you felt like something was calling you. What if it's this?"

"What do you mean?"

"This happening. What if this is the reason for you to go to Sunagakure?"

"I never pegged you as someone who believed in fate, Tsubasa."

"But is she really off base, Mariko?" asked Sayuri, frowning softly. "You always play it off, even after that mission to help rescue his student."

Mariko narrowed her eyes. While she loved her comrades, she wasn't the most open in terms of her feelings. She wasn't even sure if her feelings really counted as love; she cared deeply for the redhead with whom Naruto—and even Mariko herself—shared the same pain. To go so far as to say she loved him... _That, I truly don't know for sure_ , she thought.

"Mariko, look," sighed Tsubasa, placing a hand atop of the younger girl's head. "You've asked Tsunade to let us come along with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. You're going to see a shinobi you've haven't seen in a few years and you're feeling all sorts of things because of this abduction."

"Those Akatsuki guys, they came after Naruto ways back, right?" asked Sayuri, crossing her arms. "Could it be related? Why Naruto and why Gaara?"

"I don't know, but they aren't getting away with it." Mariko's voice was strong, her anger evident at this common enemy Konoha shared with Suna. "We've got to meet with the others soon. We should take care of some things before we go."

"Yes, ma'am," Tsubasa smiled softly at Mariko's determination. "We meet at the gate as soon as."

Sayuri nodded in agreement and the three split to take care of their business.


	3. A Flower's Memory

_This was a bit longer and I finished at work XD So naughty_

* * *

Mariko shut her eyes as she stood before her framed photos of her and Naruto. Alone in her apartment, her thoughts ran as rampant as her heart.

She couldn't explain why her heart stilled when the decoder announced the Kazekage going missing. Her blood ran cold and she couldn't help the anger that flowed at the thought of those responsible.

Mariko remembered first encountering the redhead, back when he was different, back when fear ruled him. He had threatened her to stay out of his way, to kill her, but he hadn't so much as put a scratch on her, at least until the day of the finals.

She had cushioned the blow he dealt his sister in the forest. Temari had looked at Mariko with wide eyes and asked her why she helped her, an enemy.

 _"Because it hurts you, right? He's your brother…"_ she remembered answering.

To buy Sasuke time, Mariko had used her mind reading jutsu on Gaara while he was overcome with a headache and had seen snatches of his childhood, a peek into his pain. Her eyes filled with tears back then…

 _"Look at me. Damn it, look at me!" Mariko cried, her tears running down her cheeks as she released him, disabling her jutsu. "You can stop this now. End this here."_

 _"Sakamoto, get out of the way!" Sasuke yelled to her. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"_

 _She ignored Sasuke, trying to reach the lonely child that she felt was still inside this sand ninja, to reach him beneath the pain that destroyed his innocence. "You didn't deserve this. What happened to you wasn't your fault! Do you hear me? It's not your fault!"_

 _" **SHUT UP**!" Gaara roared, the monstrous, transformed hand thrust out and smashed into Mariko, sending her flying to a tree, past Sasuke, the sharp pain spreading from her back as a cry of pain escaped her lips._

Not even a moment later, Naruto had come with Sakura. Sayuri and Tsubaki were have been held up in battle against the enemy ninja, sending Mariko ahead. When she arrived before Sasuke's comrades, to witness what she had, she realized that Gaara was like Naruto.

Like her.

Mariko had blacked out trying to protect Sakura from Gaara, but when she woke up in the hospital, Naruto had filled her in. She remembered starting to cry again, telling Naruto what she had seen in his memories, the pain Gaara was stricken with, pain he didn't deserve. She was sure Naruto had never seen her cry so much for a ninja she barely knew.

She didn't understand it herself, honestly.

"Oneechan?" Naruto's voice broke through her contemplation and Mariko opened her eyes and turned to the door. Naruto stood there, blue eyes dimmed as he looked at his sister.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I know Gaara's your friend, I…" She stopped, looking at her feet.

Naruto walked to her, silent, watching Mariko struggle with her words. Her red eyes filled with tears and traced down her cheeks as soft sobs escaped her. "We have to help him, Naruto…" she whispered.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Mariko, surprised that he was a few inches taller than her. "I know, oneechan."

Mariko buried her face into Naruto's chest. This, she remembered, long before they became ninja. They were both Jinchuriki, but Mariko was treated the worst.

Naruto had been so angry when he saw how cruel the village kids were to her that he stepped in. Since then, Mariko and he were siblings bonded by shared pain, made relieving by the fact that those kids never hurt her again when Naruto was present.

But Naruto knew Mariko felt something for Gaara. He saw the look in her eyes, the same look Sakura had for Sasuke but it was more…quiet. That was why she was crying now after four years. Her heart was in pain that she didn't understand yet, but Naruto could see it. He wasn't that dumb in regards to his sister.

"Hey, I'm gonna save him. We're gonna get him back," he assured her. "I just wanna make sure you're okay about coming along."

"Of course I'm okay!" Mariko's voice shook from her tears despite her sharp tone. "I'm okay," she breathed out, her voice much softer.

"That's my girl." Naruto planted a hand on Mariko's head with a soft grin. That was the fire she got from him that no doubt made them more like siblings than ever.

Mariko's dedication to help save Gaara made Naruto wonder what the host of Shukaku thought of her. Gaara had asked Naruto about Mariko, but Naruto couldn't tell if it was a curiosity or something else.

 _"Is she the same as us?"_ Gaara had asked.

Naruto answered him honestly, had told the redhead about what Mariko endured during their shared childhood, the abuse the village kids heaped on her, how Mariko didn't have parents to protect her. Her childhood was like theirs, only the fear and hatred the village had of the "demon child" was worse than Naruto experienced. He remembered a flash of rage in Gaara's eyes, but Naruto wasn't sure if his friend was angry at the village that spurned Mariko, or the children who did her harm.

"We should go, Naruto. The others are probably waiting," murmured Mariko, pulling away from him. Naruto's eye fell on the glinting necklace around Mariko's neck—the red diamond she's had for as long as he'd known her.

He nodded and held out his hand. "You're right, oneechan. Let's go."

Mariko returned his nod, placing her hand in his.

* * *

 _"What are you thinking about?"_

 _He couldn't answer Naruto back then. Not because he didn't have an answer._

 _It was because he was angry then. He was angry that she was hurt when she was no older than six—no older than him. He hadn't noticed until Naruto told him, but there was a scar. Barely there, hidden beneath her hair, but the flesh was discolored from the injury._

 _She had been so young, like him, like Naruto; and yet, the village she lived in treated her worse than either of them._

 _They truly thought she was a monster, a demon._

 ** _"Demon! Monster!"_**

 _The little girl was in tears, clutching at her head while she was crouched on the group. A group of boys were taunting her, calling her a demon, and throwing stones at her._

 _A sharp edge of a particularly large rock struck her in the head and she let out a shriek of pain, knocked off balance as she hit the ground. Droplets of red stained the ground as her blood dripped from the wound, a trickle at first; then heavier._

 _He was no longer in his body, but he had seen this memory. It wasn't his memory; it was **hers**. When she was alone..._

 ** _Like I was._**

 _His hand reached for her, palm facing the sky as the little girl raised her head, her crimson eyes almost hidden behind amethyst strands. Tears and blood stained her cheeks as she looked at him, her small hand reaching for him…_

 _Her child self disappeared into the wind, her twelve-year-old self looking into his eyes, her hand hovering over his. "Look at me," she whispered. "It's not your fault."_

 _He could see his child self now, standing face-to-face with her child self._

 ** _"We're the same…"_**

* * *

"Sorry we're late!" Naruto called, as he pulled Mariko along behind him.

"Took you long enough!" chided Tsubasa, her dark eyes narrowed softly before she looked to Mariko. "You doing okay?"

"Of course I am. My brother here just helped me get my head together," smiled Mariko, pushing rogue strands of her hair from her face.

"Are we all set, then?" asked Kakashi, his tone authoritative as he looked to the six-man platoon.

"Just about, aren't we, sensei?" asked Sayuri, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura gasped and the group turned to see the Lady Hokage and Iruka walking to the gate.

"We've come to see you off," Iruka announced even though they all knew that.

"That's kind of you, sensei," Mariko said with a bow. She held the man in high esteem, considering that he was the first to really accept Naruto. Mariko used to be terrified of the teachers in the academy and she knew Iruka knew that. When Naruto finally got around to introducing the two, Iruka was like their older brother, watching out for them.

Much as Mariko loved her friends, she was happy to have a psuedo-family of her own.

She was lost in her own mind, she knew, because Sakura saluted Tsunade with a professional, "I'll return, Lady Tsunade!"

"I hope so," murmured Tsunade, her voice trembling with the worry she kept from her eyes.

Sayuri and Tsubasa took one of Mariko's hands in theirs, Sayuri on the left and Tsubasa on the right, before giving them a reassuring squeeze. She didn't want to say it was okay; in a way, she was out of place. Naruto knew Gaara the best; he had more of a right than anyone in the platoon to feel upset by these turn of events. The Akatsuki had made their move and they didn't hurry now, who knows what could happen.

"Naruto, come here for a sec." Jiraiya, Naruto's mentor had pulled the blonde ninja aside. When did he get here?

"I'm going to walk ahead with Sakura a bit, guys," Mariko whispered to her teammates as soon as the pace began moving to the direction of Sunagakure. The pink-haired kunoichi glanced at the purple-haired female, her green eyes shining in concern.

Sakura and Mariko hadn't gotten along when they were younger, partly due to some misguided notion that Mariko shared the village girls' infatuation with Sasuke. After finding out otherwise, and the fact that Mariko risked her life to protect her from recieving a harsher blow from Gaara's attack-a risk that shattered the bones in Mariko's arm from sheer force alone-both Sakura and Mariko had developed a mutual respect for one another.

"Is this how you felt when Sasuke...?" Mariko asked softly after a few moments of silence between the kunoichi. "I mean, I know it isn't the same, but..."

"It is, in a way." Sakura placed a hand on Mariko's shoulder, a soft but sad smile on her lips. "Both are in the hands of bad people, even though Sasuke went with Orochimaru by choice. I'm sure Gaara fought back against the Akatsuki as hard as he can."

Biting her lip, Mariko shook her head slightly. "I don't know how to feel about this, Sakura. I'm so angry that these bastards have taken him, like they've tried to take Naruto, but..." she trailed off, her eyes dimming slightly. "I'm terrified that they're hurting him. He doesn't deserve that. He didn't deserve any of this."

"Mariko...Naruto or you don't deserve this either. You, Naruto, and Gaara are alike, and we even have to be prepared in case they want to grab you too, considering..."

"Considering that I'm a demon incarnate?" Sakura could hear the wryness in Mariko's words and the pink-haired kunoichi's heart absolutely broke, regret choking her on the inside at how during their adolescent years she added to Mariko's burden of being judged, and over something so foolish.

"You're not a demon. You're Sakamoto Mariko, sister to our number one maverick ninja Uzumaki Naruto, and comrade to Kuronami Tsubasa, Tachibana Sayuri...to all of us." Sakura smiled, squeezing Mariko's shoulder. "You, Naruto, Gaara are more than just those things inside of you. Hanging out with Naruto ought to have shown the both of you that much!"

"So why do others sometime have a problem seeing us?" asked Mariko softly, right as Naruto bounded on ahead. Her eyes softened at the sight of the blonde knucklehead that cheerfully saw her as his sister trembling with rage at the knowledge that how Mariko felt was exactly the reason why they were targeted.

Because like some of the villagers and to their enemy, they were only seen as monsters.


End file.
